Flagstaff.



G. R. CLIFFORD.

FLAGSTAFF.

(Application filed May 15, 1899.)

Patented Feb. 20, I900.

(No Model.)

W/TNE SSE S IN VENTOI? A TTOBNEYS.

1: Mains PETERS no, FHOYO-LITNQ, WASHINGTON, o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE RANSTROM CLIFFORD, OF VANCOUVER, CANADA;

FLAG STAFF.

srnomrcn'rroiv forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,945, dated February 20, 1906.

Application filed May 15, 1.899. Serial No. 716,361. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LGEORGE RANSTROM CLIF- FORD, of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Flagstaff, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a superior fiagstaff of that class used particularlyin railroad-work and adapted to be carried by squads of trackmen for planting along the track to warn engine-drivers of danger ahead. Heretofore considerable fault has been found with the ordinary form of staff, since the staff must be planted nearly perpendicular, and when so disposed the flag hangs in folds around the staff and does not lie out in position to be clearly observed. By means of my invention this disadvantage is overcome and a device in every way reliable is produced.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the'claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention with the flag extended, and Fig. 2 is a view showing the staff and flag folded and in position to be planted.

The staff, which is cast from steel to make it as light and strong as possible, has a main portion 3, at the lower end of which is formed a chisel-point 4 of such form that it may be readily made to penetrate the earth to hold the device in the position shown in Fig. 1 without the aid of rocks piled around the staff. The top of the main portion 3 is formed with an enlarged head 5 toreceive the blows of a hammer or other instrument for driving the staff into the earth, although if the earth be soft such operation need not be resorted to.

Fastened to the upper portion of the body 3 of the staff is a U-clip 6, wherein is pivoted the elbow of an L-shaped staff-support, the long arm 7 of which is adapted to have the flag 8 made fast thereto at the head of the flag and the short arm 9 of which has a shouldered end 10, which when the arm 7 is extend ed to horizontal position may be engaged and held by a link 11, pivoted to the upper end of the body 3 directly below the head 5 thereof. The flag is provided at its lower outer corner with a weight 12 for the purpose of keeping the flag drawn downward in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

When the staff is to be planted for use, it is grasped in the manner shown in Fig. 2 and driven into the earth either by the force of the arm or by the action of the hammer struck on the head 5. The L-shaped flag-support is now to be moved to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the arm 7 runs out horizontally from the body 3 of the staff and the arm 4E extends upward alongside of the body to be engaged at the end 10 by the link 11. The weight 12 now serves to hold the flag distended in a line transverse to the track, thus insuring a reliable signal to the engine-driver. When the device is not being used, the link 11 should be disengaged from the arm 9 and the arm 7 of the flag-holder permitted to fall into parallelism with the body 3 of the staff.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a flagstafi, the combination of a body portion,a U-clip attached thereto,an L-shaped flag-holder the elbow of which is pivoted in the clip, the long arm of the flag-holder being adapted to have the flag attached thereto, and the short arm being formed with a shouldered end, and a link pivoted to the body portion and adapted to engage the-shouldered end of the said arm of the flag-holder, to hold the long arm at right angles to the body portion.

2. In a flagstaff, the combination of a body portion, an L shaped flag holder pivoted thereto at the elbow of the flag-holder, one arm of the flag-holder being adapted to carry the flag, and the other arm having a shouldered end, and a link pivotally connected with the body of the flag-holder and adapted to engage the said shouldered end.

3. In a flagstaif, the combination of a body portion, an L shaped flag holder pivoted thereon at the elbow thereof, one arm of the flag-holder being adapted to carry the flag, and means mounted on the body of the device for engaging the other arm of the fiagfor holding the other arm of the flag-holder, holder to hold 131%? flag in position. whereby to display the flag.

4. In a flagsta the combination of a body a portion, an angular flag-holder pivoted to the GEORGE RANSTROM FORD 5 body portion at the angle of the flag-holder, Witnesses:

one arm of the flag-holder being adapted to A. L. BROWNLEE, carry the flag, and means attached to the body J. H. BROWNLEE. 

